Federal Transit Administration Highlights Launch of New Bus Rapid Transit Service in San Antonio

12/17/2012
Contact: Amy Bernstein
202-366-0706

San Antonio, Texas – The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) applauded the official opening of San Antonio’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) line today, which will bring efficient, state-of-the-art transit service to thousands of commuters, students, seniors and others traveling the busy Fredericksburg Road corridor in Bexar County. FTA contributed $52.6 million toward the project, or about 75 percent of the total $70 million cost.

“Today, residents in San Antonio are experiencing the convenience, comfort and affordability of bus rapid transit as they travel to work, school, medical appointments and other destinations,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The Obama Administration is committed to investing in more good projects like this one across the country, to revitalize our downtown centers, reduce congestion and keep our economy moving forward.”

The new VIA Primo BRT service features eight stops along a 20-mile corridor that takes riders to the area’s largest employment centers at the newly opened South Texas Medical Center Transit Center and in downtown San Antonio. In addition, BRT riders can board connecting bus service to the main campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio. The Westside Multimodal Transit Center in the Cattleman Square neighborhood, which was awarded a $15 million TIGER (Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery) grant, is slated to open early next year and is also on the route.

“This new BRT service is a great addition to the transit choices already available to residents of San Antonio and Bexar County, where ridership is among the fastest-growing in the nation,” said FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff. “It will also help spur economic development on the city’s near West Side.”

In addition to funding for this project, in Fiscal Years 2010-2012, VIA Metropolitan Transit received approximately $8.5 million in discretionary FTA State-of-Good-Repair funds to help modernize, replace, and repair aging vehicles and transit facilities to keep its transit systems operating efficiently.